Page 104 of Take No Prisoners
His grandmother always spoke in such cryptic terms, but he had no time to think about it as the ship ground to a halt.
"For fuck's sake," Efren muttered. "Jermain's made her unpassable. Stan!"
"On it, Captain." Stan brushed past Niall and took the steps to the foredeck two at a time. "That's a right mess."
"Beatrice, Niall, help him."
Niall knew his grandmother needed no help on the stairs, but she didn't let go of his arm, even when they reached Stan. She latched onto the earth weaver's elbow, too. "Those with like power can link together, to bolster each other. Find your earth magic, and I'll show you how to link with Stan."
Niall tapped into his stability. Earth was a lot like water, and he found himself using both to shift the sand beneath the boat.
His grandmother smacked his arm. "Earth only, or it won't work."
"Aye, Grandmother."
"Gods, that makes me feel old." She shared a look with Stan. "There it is. Now, we give our power over to Stan, so he can use it however he needs."
Using their combined power, Stan cleared the sand from beneath the ship and flattened the rest of the sandbars between them and the western docks. "Ready, Captain."
With a shove of Efren's water and a turn of the wheel,Starlight Spectercut across the waves. They made a large arch and rounded on the new dock. In no time at all, Olivia hopped over the side to tie the mooring ropes, and then Tovey and Stan lowered the gangplank.
Martiz and Jermain waited for them on the dock.
"This should be interesting," Niall's grandmother said. "What excuse will they give us for making the approach impassible?"
"It slowed us down long enough for them to know it was us," Stan said. "Not a bad idea, but they wouldn't have seen Coryn coming."
"Yes," she said. "Olivia told us of Coryn's vanishing act. Could you sense what powers she was using?"
"All of them, we think, and only in the moment after she disappeared." Stan shrugged. "I felt air and earth. Hannah sensed water and lightning. We don't have any fire or ice to speak of, and Vadim was with you."
"I'll feel much better knowing you'll have Niall with you for this next mission," she said, squeezing Niall's hand before letting him go. "Our future may depend on it."
As grateful as Niall was to be sailing with Efren, he wasn't ready to go off on a half-cocked rescue mission to the capital. Still, he didn't dare protest now, and not to his grandmother.
He found Efren waiting for him at the top of the gangplank. Instead of taking his offered hand, Niall wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. He loved the feel of Efren's soft beard on his cheek as the captain nuzzled his neck.
"Welcome home," Efren whispered in his ear.
"I want to see nothing but the inside of your bedroom for the next twelve hours," Niall growled.
"I think we can arrange that."
Efren scooped him into his arms, and his cheeks burned like the blushing brides he always heard about, but he didn't care. He clutched Efren's neck and let himself be loved as Efren carried him toward home.
Chapter 26
Efren
Efren carried Niall down the gangplank of the ship in front of everyone, which had sent a message to his crew and the rest of the island, but now that he had Niall to himself, it wasn't enough. Despite Niall's protests, he again lifted Niall at the entrance to his island home and carried him across the threshold.
Niall stopped protesting the moment they were inside with the door shut, choosing instead to kiss every part of Efren's beard and neck before finding his lips and forcing his tongue inside.
"I missed you," Niall said. "When I woke up from our nap, you were gone."
"I missed you, too." Efren kissed him again and eased him to the floor before his arms gave out. "You needed your sleep."
"I needed you more." Niall still had his arms around Efren's neck and reeled him in for a kiss.
